CHAP. II.

Of the Distribution of the Keys, and their power, or of
the severall sorts thereof.

THE ordinary Distribution of the keys is wont to be thus delivered.
There is clavis

{

1. Scientiæ, A key of knowledge, and

2. Potestatis, a key of power: and the key of power is

{

1. Ordinis, Either a key of order, or

2. Jurisdictionis, a key of Jurisdiction.

This distribution though it goe for current both amongst Protestants
and Papists, yet wee crave leave to expresse, what in it doth not fully satisfie
us. Foure things in it seeme defective to us: 1. That any key of the kiqgdome of
heaven should be left without power. For here in this distribution, the key of knowledge
is contradistinguished from a key of power.

2. There is a reall defect in omitting an integrall part of the
keys, which is that key of power or liberty, which belongeth to the
Church itself.
But no marvell, though the Popish Clergie omitted it, who have oppressed all Church-libertie:
and Protestant Churches, having recovered the libertie of preaching the Gospel,
and ministery of the Sacraments, have been well satisfied therewith, 27so as some of them have looked no farther, nor so much as discerned their defect of Church-power, ot liberty due unto them
in point of discipline:
and others finding themselves wronged in withholding a key or power, which belongs
to them, have wrested to themselves an undue power, which belongs not to them, the
key of authority.

3. There is another defect in the Distribution, in die. viding the
key of order from the key of Jurisdiction of purpose to make way for the power of
Chancellours and Commissaries in foro exteriori: who though they want the key of
order, (having never entred into holy orders, as they are called, or at most into
the order of Deacons onely; whereof our Lord spake nothing touching Jurisdiction)
yet they have been invested with Jurisdiction, yea, and more then ministeriall authoritie,
even above those Elders who labour in word and doctrine: By this sacralegious breach
of order (which hath been as it were the breaking of the Files and Ranks in an Armie)
Satan hath routed and ruined a great part of the libertie and puritie of Churches,
and of all the Ordinances of Christ in them.

4. A fourth defect, (but yet the least, which we observe in this
distribution) is, that order is appropriated to the Officers of the Church onely.
For though wee be far from allowing that sacralegious usurpation of the ministers
office, which we heare of (to our griefe) to be practised in some places, that
private Christians ordinarily take upon them to preach the Gospel publickly, and
to minister Sacraments: Yet we put a difference between Office and Order. Office
we looke at as peculiar to those, who are set apart for some peculiar function in 28the Church, who are either Elders or Deacons. But order (speaking
of Church-order properly taken) is common to all the members of the Church, whether
Officers or private brethren. There is an order as well in them that are subject,
as in them that rule. There is a τὰξις as well
τῶν ὑποτακτικῶν, as τῶν ἐπιτακτικῶν. The maid
in Athenæus is said θεραπὰινης τὰξιν ἐπιλάβαυσα, as well as her Mistresse. Yet if any man be willing to make office and order
æquipollent, we will not contend about words, so there be no erroneous apprehension
wrapt into the matter. To come therefore to such a distribution of the keyes as
is more suitable to Scripture phrase. For it becomes true Israelites rather to speak
the language of Canaan, then the language of Ashdod. When Paul beheld, and rejoiced
to behold, how the Church of Colosse had received the Lord Jesus, and walked in
him he summeth up all their Church estate, to wit, their beautie and power, in these
two, Faith and order, Col. 2. 5, 6. There is therefore a
key of Faith, and a key
of Order.

The key of Faith, is the same which the Lord Jesus calleth the
key of knowledge, Luke 11. 52. and which he complaineth, the Lawyers had taken away.
Now that key of knowledge Christ speaketh of, was such, that if it had not been
taken away, they that had it, had power by it to enter into the kingdom of heaven
themselves, and it may be to open the doore to others, to enter also. Now such a
knowledge whereby a man hath power to enter into heaven, is onely faith, which is
often therefore called knowledge, as Isa. 53. 11.
By the knowledge of him shall
my righteous servant justifie many: that is, by the faith of Christ, And Joh. 17.
3, This is eternall life to 20know thee: that is, to beleeve on thee. This key therefore, the
key of knowledge (saving knowledge) or which is all one, the key of faith, is common
to all beleevers. A faithfull soul knowing the Scriptures, and Christ in them, receiveth
Christ, and entreth through him into the kingdom of heaven, both here, and hereafter.
Here he entreth into a state of grace through faith Heb. 4: 3. and by the profession
of his faith, he entreth also into the fellowship of the Church (which is the kingdom
of heaven upon earth:) and by the same faith, as he beleeveth to justification,
so be maketh confession to salvation, which is perfected in the kingdom of glory.
Rom. 10. 10.

The key of Order is the power whereby every member of the Church
walketh orderly himself, according to his place in the Church, and helpeth his brethren,
to walk orderly also.

it was. that which the Apostles and Elders called upon Paul, so
to carrie himself before the Jews in the Temple, that he might make it appear to
all men that he walked orderly. (Act. 21. 18. 24.) Orderly, to wit, according to
the order of the Jewish Chuch, with whom he then conversed. And it was the commandment
which Paul gave to the whole Church of Thessalonica, and to all the members of it,
to withdraw themselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, 2 Thes. 3. 6.
This their withdrawing from him that walketh disorderly, was the exercise of their
key of order. And it was a like exercise of the same key of order, when he requireth
the Brethren to warne the unruly, which is, (in the originall) the same word, to
admonish the disorderly: 1 Thes. 5. 14. And this key of order (to wit, order understood
in this sense) 30is common to all the members of the Church, whether Elders or
brethren.

Furthermore, of Order there be two keyes; a key of
power, or interest:
And the key of Authority or Rule. The first of these is termed in
the Scriptures, Liberty: So distinguishing it from that part of Rule
and Authority in the officers of the Church. We speak not here of that spirituall liberty, whether of
impunitie,
whereby the children of God are set free by the blood of Christ from Satan, hell,
bondage of sin, curse of the Morall Law, and service of the Ceremoniall Law: nor
of immunitie whereby we have power to be called the sons of God, to come boldly
unto the throne of grace in prayer, and as heirs of glory, to look for our inheritance
in light: but of that externall libertie, or interest which Christ also hath purchased
for his people, as libertie to enter into the fellowship of his Church, libertie
to chuse and call well gifted men to office in that his Church: libertie to partake
in Sacraments, or seals of the Covenant of the Church: libertie and interest to
joyn with officers in the due censure of offenders, and the like. This libertie
and the acts thereof, are often exemplified in the Acts of the Apostles: and the
Apostle Paul calleth it expressly by the name of libertie. Brethren (saith he)
you
have been called unto LIBERTY, onely use not your liberty as an occasion to the
flesh, but by love serve one another. Gal. 5. 13. that the Apostle by that libertie
meaneth Church libertie or power in ordering Church affaires, will evidently appeare,
if we consult with the context, rather then with Commenters. For the Apostle having
spent the former part of the Epistle, partly in the confirmation of his calling,
partly in disputation against 31justification by the works of the Law, to the end of
v. 8. of
Chap. 5. in the ninth Verse he descendeth not to exhort unto bonos mores in generall,
(as usually Commenters, take it) but to instruct in Church Discipline, in which
he giveth three or foure directions to the tenth v. of Chap. 6. 1. Touching the
censure of those corrupt Teachers, who had perverted and troubled them with that
corrupt Doctrine of justification by works. Chap. 5 ver. 9. to the end of the Chap.
2. Touching the gentle admonition and restoring of a brother fallen by infirmitie,
Chap. 6. ver. 1. to 5. 3. Touching the maintenance of their Ministers, ver. 6, 7,
8. and beneficence to others, ver. 9, 10.

Touching the first, the censure of their corrupt teachers. 1. He layeth for the ground of it (that which himself gave for
the ground of the excommunication
of the incestuous Corinth, 1 Cor. 5. 6).
A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
vers. 9.

2. He presumeth the Church will be of the same mind with him, and
concur in the censure of him that troubled them with corrupt doctrine, v. 10. (from
fellowship with which corrupt doctrine he cleareth himself v. 11.)

3. He proceedeth to declare, what censure be wisheth might be dispended
against him, and the rest of those corrupt teachers. I would (saith he)
they were
even cut off that trouble you: cut off, to wit, by excommunication, ver. 12. Now
lest it should be objected by the brethren of the Church: But what power have we
to cut them off? The Apostle answereth, they have a power and libertie (to wit to
joyn with the sounder part of the Presbyterie, in casting them out, or cutting them
off:) For brethren (saith he) you are called unto liberty.

32

If it should be further objected, Yea, but give the people this
power and libertie in some cases, either to cast off their teachers, or to cut them
off, the people will soon take advantage to abuse this libertie unto much carnall
licentiousnesse. The Apostle preventeth that with a word of wholsome counsell:
Brethren (saith he) you have been called unto libertie: onely use not your liberty
as an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another, v. 13. and thereupon
seasonably pursued] this counsell with a caveat to beware of abusing this liberty
to carnall contention, (an usuall disease of popular liberty) and withall dehorteth,
them from all other fruits of the flesh, to the end of the Chapter. Evident therefore
it is, that there is a key of power or libertie given to the Church (to the Brethren
with the Elders) as to open a doore of entrance to the Ministers calling; so to
shut the doore of entrance against them in some cases, as when through corrupt and
pernicious doctrine, they turn from Shepherds to become ravenous wolves.

Having spoken then of that first key of order, namely, the key
of power, (in a more large sense) or liberty in the Church, there remaineth the
other key of order, which is the key of Authority or of Rule, in a more strict sense
which is in the Elders of the Church. Authority is a morall power, in a superiour
order (or state) binding or releasing an inferiour in point of subjection. This
key when it was promised to Peter, Math. 16. 19. and given to him with the rest
of the Apostles,. Joh. 20. 23. they thereby had power to bind and loose; and it
is the same Authority which is given to their successours the Elders whereby they
are called to feed and rule the Church of God, as the Apostles had done before 33them.
Acts, 20. 28. And indeed by opening, and applying the Law
(the spirit of bondage accompanying the same) they bind sinners under the curse,
and their consciences under guilt of sin, and fear of wrath, and shut the kingdom
of heaven against them. And by opening and applying the Gospel (the Spirit of Adoption
accompanying the same) they remit sin, and loose the consciences of beleeving repenting
souls from guilt of sin, and open to them the doores of heaven. By vertue of this
key, as they preach with all authoritie, not onely the doctrine of the Law, but
also the Covenant of the Gospel so they administer the seals thereof, Baptisme,
and the Lords Supper. By virtue also of this key, they with the Church do bind an
obstinate offender under excommunication, Math. 18. 17. 18. and release, and for-
give him upon his repentance. 2 Cor. 2. 7.

This Distribution of the keys, And so of spiritual power, in the
things of Christs kingdom we have received from the Scripture. But if any men out
of love to Antiquitie, do rather affect to keep to the terms of the former more
ancient Distribution (as there be who are as loath to change Antiquos terminos verborum,
as agrarum) we would not stick upon the words rightly explained, out of desire both
to judge and speak the same things with fellow-brethren. Onely then let them
allow some spirituall power to the key of knowledge, though not Church-power. And in
Church power let them put in as well a key of liberty, that is, a power and priviledge
of interest, as a key of Authoritie. And by their key of order, as
they do understand the key of office, so let them not divide from it the key of
jurisdiction (for Christ hath given no jurisdiction, but to whom he hath given
office) and so we willingly consent with them.